“When the other candidates are offering criticisms and darkness and gloom—no optimism about the future, no real solutions to the problems that real people care about—he’s doing the exact opposite, and he’s connecting with voters,” John Weaver, Kasich’s chief strategist, told Bloomberg Politics. “In a multi-field race if you’re playing whack-a-mole and if Harry hits Sam, how do we know that Sam’s votes are going to go to Harry and not Dick? So, we don’t get involved in that.”

Weaver also fired a warning shot at the Republican field.

“Now, if somebody attacks us, we’re going to rain hell on their head. But as far as they leave us alone, we’re going to move forward,” he said…

In an interview, Weaver couldn’t resist taking some swipes at Kasich’s rivals, saying that he’s not pandering like they are. “Chris Christie has to pander because his record in New Jersey is so abysmal,” he said. “And Senator Rubio is one of those rare talents that we rarely see in public life, but when the issue gets tough, he runs like a scalded ape. [Kasich has] been through the fire. He’s not pandered, he’s not wavered, he’s not changed one position.”